ORNAMENT, CHRISTMAS

Description: CHRISTMAS LANTERN IN BOX - THREE PIECES ELECTRIC LANTERN WITH PRESSED BOARD BACKING. STURDY PLASTIC DISPLAYS GREEN, YELLOW, RED, WHITE. CORD MARKED "DECORATIVE LIGHTING OUTFIT". ORIGINAL BOX MARKED "ILLUMINATED OLD ENGLISH LANTERN."

History: ACCORDING TO DONOR TREVOR BENNET AT TIME OF DONATION, THE LANTERN WAS PURCHASED AROUND 1952 AND USED AS A NIGHT LIGHT. SINCE 1971, THE LANTERN WAS USED IN BENNET'S MUSIC ROOM WAITING AREA. TREVOR BENNET WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN JANUARY, 1948. HAVING SUFFERED FROM POLIO, HE SPENT MUCH OF HIS CHILDHOOD AT THE "RED CROSS HOSPITAL" IN CALGARY, ALBERTA (NOW KNOWN AS THE "ALBERTA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL"). SEE ARCHIVES 19752909159. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2018 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS DONATED BY TREVOR BENNETT. ON AUGUST 28, 2018, PUNDYK SAT DOWN WITH BENNETT FOR AN INTERVIEW REGARDING THAT DONATION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: “IT’S ACTUALLY A CHRISTMAS DECORATION LIGHT. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD PLUG IT INTO A LIGHT SOCKET AND HANG IT OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSE DOOR BUT I NOTICED THAT DESTROYED THEM, SO I NEVER PUT IT OUTSIDE. I PUT IT INSIDE NEAR THE BACK DOOR WHERE MUSIC STUDENTS WOULD COME AND GO AND THEY FOUND THAT FASCINATING. IT WAS JUST AN UNUSUAL WAY OF CELEBRATING THE EXCITEMENT AND JOY OF CHRISTMAS AND LITTLE KIDS COMING LOVED SEEING THAT. IT’S GOT FRAGILE, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TOP THAT IT HAS GOT DAMAGE FROM BEING HUNG FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST RETIRE IT TO THE GALT MUSEUM IF THEY WOULD ACCEPT IT.” FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT SEE PERMANENT FILE.